Know Your MOT
8.3%fail rate

Riley Rma common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Riley Rma fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 422 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 8.3% of MOT tests recorded on the Riley Rma in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 45.7% of the Riley Rma's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, visibility/wipers, other. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Brakes45.7% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Lamps & electrical45.7% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Visibility/wipers22.9% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Other20.0% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Steering17.1% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Exhaust & emissions14.3% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the brakes failure: Riley Rma brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Riley Rma brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Riley Rma brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Riley Rma headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Riley Rma headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Riley Rma headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Riley Rma wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Riley Rma wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Riley Rma wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Riley Rma steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Riley Rma steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Riley Rma steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Riley Rma exhaustSearch Amazon for Riley Rma exhaustaffiliate searchFind Riley Rma exhaust on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Riley Elf MOT failures22.8% failure rateRiley 1.5 MOT failures18.4% failure rateRiley 1.5 Litre MOT failures14.6% failure rateFord Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain